Reviews by KevT:

More User Reviews:

Pours from the growler into an imperial nonic a deep garnet color with a blooming lighter beige head atop,aromas are full on pine and citrus over top of roast and bitter chocolatet,the way it should be in my opinion.Sharp and pickly pine hops on the palate with some dryer earthy tone,some roast and bitter chocolate comes into play as well but he pine resin wins out.This is what I want and expect for the style and the left coast once again brings it,love this beer.

Pours fairly pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, tangerine, dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, light char, toast, floral, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop and roasted malt notes; with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, light char, toast, floral, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness. Fair amount of roasted/pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, orange zest, cocoa, roasted malt, light char, floral, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of hop and roasted malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy, sticky, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent black IPA! All around great balance and complexity of hop and roasted malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

I see no bottled on or best before dating, although one reviewer did refer to this type of info...

Pours near black, under a large and lasting cafe au lait head. Gets frothy, and then leaves thick bands of stick, some sheeting and continued froth.

Milk chocolate, burnt toast and dark grains on the nose.

Tasty dark ale, they call it an IPA on the label, and the hops are clearly present but not really bursting onto the palate. More dark grains, smooth chocolate and again some char on the palate. Smooth, creamy and satisfying on the tongue.

A: Black like the name with hues of deep brown in the light. Foamy coffee toned head with variable sized, persistent bubbles.

S: A vein of brown sugar and dark bread run through the nose with notes of flowers, citrus, and mint.

T: Shakable foundation of brown sugar and bread which attempts to support the dank nugget of floral, piney, and citrus hops. Strong bitter finish with a mineral-like edge in addition to moderate warming alcohol.

O: Obsessed with the IPA, the west coast continues to spew out variations to keep the public interested. This Black IPA lacks malt complexity and sports an average hop profile. Overall, a lackluster offering from Bear Republic.

Pours a gorgeous deep black with a thin off-white head. It looks quite nice and true to its style. Scents of licorice, caramel malt, molasses, some smokey aromas, some faint muted pine and notes of citrus. A muted aroma compared to many hop forward beers but quite nice, very unique and enticing and quite different from other black IPAs I've tried. Flavor begins fairly sweet, with big hits of caramel and some chocolate. Moves into slight pine and citrusy hop flavors with a moderate level of bitterness, IPA level, alongside roasted malt and more chocolate. The hop presence is largest at this point. The finish is pine resin bitterness, with some chocolate, roast malt and black coffee. Aftertaste is pine resin, roast malt and black coffee bitterness mingling nicely. A good flavor profile, combining the roasted, chocolate and coffee flavors of porters/stouts with the caramel malt and intense hops of an IPA and doing so in fantastic fashion. Very nice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, resinous and sticky with a semi-drying feel and a moderate level of prickly carbonation. A very nice feel that aids the drinking experience nicely. Overall this is an excellent black IPA. It combines the best aspects of IPAs and the porter/stout family into a very flavorful, uniquely aromatic and drinkable experience.